⚡️ AI brain-zapping weeds

Kick-off time! New plays, new players, new game-changing tech.

The whistle’s blown and the FoodTech World Cup is officially underway for 2026. 

Applications are now open for Founders pushing the boundaries of biotech in food.

As we team up once again with Nestlé Research to uncover fresh talent and spotlight the most promising solutions.

15 top teams will advance through to the virtual Semi-Final before the 5 brightest go head-to-head at the HackSummit’s Grand Final in Lausanne on 23rd April.

Already confirmed on the Jury are Bodil Sidén (Kost Capital), Celine Schiff-Deb (Mista / Givaudan), Gil Horsky (Flora Ventures), Eugenia Barcos (Nestlé Research). 

Time to get your startup in the mix? Apply today.

This week in FoodTech:

🚬 Do UPF’s need tobacco-style regulation?
🤖 AI brain to laser-zap weeds on sight
🥤 GLP-1 era drinks hit the shelves

The Digest

📊 DigitalFoodLab released its Innovation Radar, which reveals the current industry’s level of engagement with each trend and its evolution. 

🚬 New academic research from Harvard, the University of Michigan and Duke University argues that ultra-processed foods share addiction and health-risk characteristics with tobacco and may warrant similar regulation,

👩🏻‍⚖ A federal judge in the Western District of Texas has struck down Texas labeling law SB664 as unconstitutional, ruling that its mandatory wording and font-size requirements for plant-based and cultivated meat packaging violated First Amendment protections.

👨🏻‍🍳 Cultivated meat advocate Alex Shirazi launched A Scientist’s Cookbook to show how cultivated meat products can be practically prepared in everyday kitchens.

🇵🇹 Apply today. Become a FoodHack Ambassador in Lisbon to host Meetups across the city and grow the local FoodTech community.

Latest Funding

🥣 US-based Oats Overnight, which makes high-protein, spoon-free overnight oatmeal, secured a $45 million investment from Asto Consumer Partners to accelerate marketing, expand retail distribution, and automate its production sites to increase speed and efficiency.

🥥 Coconut water hydration company Coco5 raised $10 million in a funding round led by Loop Capital, with backing from investor Jim Reynolds and athlete-investors including Devin Booker, D’Angelo Russell, Charles Barkley, Michael Wilbon and Derrick Rose, and will use the funds to expand its operations.

🇧🇷 Brazil-focused agtech VC firm SP Ventures secured an $8 million commitment from the Soros Economic Development Fund for its AgVentures III Climate Investment Fund, with which it will back Global South agtech startups developing climate-resilient, regenerative and low-emissions agricultural technologies and inclusive rural financial systems.

🐝 French regenerative agriculture startup UBEES raised €8 million Series A funding in a round co-led by Starquest and Capagro with participation from Newtree Impact. It will use the funds to further develop its technology-enabled beekeeping and pollination programmes, designed to improve crop yields and biodiversity.

🥩 US cultivated meat startup Evergreen Connect (formerly Omeat) secured $6 million from investors including S2G Investments, BOLD Capital Partners and Good Startup to support the commercial launch of its blended beef products in the US and Singapore.

😋 UK-founded teff snack company Lovegrass Ethiopia secured a $5 million investment from British International Investment to scale production and exports of its gluten-free teff products.

🆘 US agtech startup Brilliant Harvest raised a $4 million seed round from investors including FTW Ventures, Alpaca VC, Automotive Ventures, SVG Ventures and NYA Ventures to scale its AI-powered helpdesk platform that helps agricultural equipment dealers answer farmer and technician queries faster

♻️ Amsterdam-based Proba, which turns fertiliser-related emission reductions into certified Scope 3 results for agri-food supply chains, raised €1.25 million from existing backers including Future Food Fund, Yield Lab Europe and Value Factory Ventures to expand into the US and Brazil.

🌱 Denmark’s Nordic Bio Food is developing enzyme-enabled, legume-based meat alternatives with improved taste, texture and protein content for industrial partners, backed by investment from Kost Capital, Kost Studio, Per Falholt and Steen Risgaard.

New in Startups

🤖 US agtech Carbon Robotics launched a new AI-powered Large Plant Model trained on over 150 million plant images to help its LaserWeeder robots instantly identify and eliminate new weed species without retraining.

⚡️ Australian agtech startup Azaneo is developing a modular tractor-mounted weeding system that uses irreversible electroporation - a high-voltage, non-thermal electric pulse technique - to kill weeds quickly and at lower energy cost than thermal electric methods, aiming to compete with chemical herbicides on price and productivity while reducing chemical use.

🍏 RipeLocker, which extends produce shelf life using low-oxygen vacuum storage chambers, is developing a refrigerated shipping-container-sized vacuum system to enable cost-effective global transport of perishables without drum repacking.

🐟 Austria-based Revo Foods and US-based Atlantic Fish Co are partnering to develop scalable whole-cut cultivated seafood by combining 3D-printed mycoprotein structures with cultivated fish cells, aiming to lower production costs and accelerate commercialisation of hybrid cultivated whitefish fillets.

Plant-Based

🌱 UK-based organic tofu and plant-protein brand The Tofoo Co Ltd has agreed to acquire German organic plant-based manufacturer Topas GmbH, to expand its European footprint, add seitan manufacturing capability, and accelerate growth and distribution across Europe.

👋🏼 Impossible Foods announced that CEO Peter McGuinness is departing and will remain on the board, with his responsibilities being taken over by a three-member executive leadership team.

📉 The Vegan Food Group has begun winding down its UK operations, resulting in around 60 redundancies at its York head office and other cuts across its brands as part of a major restructuring.

Big Food

🥤 Langer Juice Co. unveiled a new No Worries drink formulated with fibre, minerals and vitamins to support weight loss, gut, bone and muscle health for consumers using GLP-1 medications.

🇹🇭 Nestlé has reaffirmed Thailand as its primary strategic hub for the Indochina region following talks with the Thai government at the World Economic Forum 2026, citing macroeconomic stability and strong infrastructure.

🍫 Tony’s Chocoloney reported that, together with 20+ partner brands using its supply chain model, it has increased farmer pay, reduced child labour, and verified tens of thousands of deforestation-free farms.

🤑 PepsiCo is cutting prices by up to 15% on select US snack brands including Doritos, Cheetos, Lay’s and Tostitos to improve affordability, boost purchase frequency, and restore volume growth among inflation-weary consumers.

5️⃣ Top patent applications you might have missed.

From the Community

• RHEA (EU) are hiring a Project Manager

• Rainbow Crops (Belgium) are looking for a Head of AI

Hiring in FoodTech? Hit reply to send us your open roles and be featured next week.

👋 Join us next at a FoodHack Meetup in Tokyo, Barcelona, Dubai, Copenhagen

🔦 Applications are open for MassChallenge Switzerland’s Accelerator - A 4-month, equity-free programme designed to accelerate your growth through tailored support, expert access, and a strong global network.

📈 The ProVeg Incubator is accepting applications for its Fast-track to Impact Programme. This 3-month, fully online initiative is designed to help early-stage startups navigate today’s challenging market and accelerate their growth.

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Until next time - Stay Hungry